84: Chapter 84 Fireworks and Nighttime Returnees

The four of them stood on Wutong Avenue for a while before merging back into the crowd.

Qiao Yichen held Liu Yanran's hand, walking in front, while Su Qing and Lin Wei linked arms, following behind.

Lin Wei suddenly spoke, "What are we eating tonight?"

Liu Yanran looked at the line of steaming food stalls ahead, the aroma drifting over. Her eyes lit up, "How about... we eat these first? It's been a long time since I had street food."

Su Qing nodded, "Sure, I haven't had this stuff in ages either."

Lin Wei immediately perked up, letting go of Su Qing's arm and rushing forward, "Then I'm going to queue for those skewers first!"

She ran a couple of steps, then turned back, shouting toward Qiao Yichen, "Boss Qiao is treating—!"

Qiao Yichen smiled helplessly, leading Liu Yanran to follow.

For the next half hour, the four of them ate their way from one end of the street to the other.

Lin Wei held a skewer in one hand and a freshly cooked stinky tofu in the other, chewing as she mumbled indistinctly, "This is delicious."

Su Qing slowly nibbled on an ear of corn, occasionally glancing disdainfully at Lin Wei's eating manners.

Liu Yanran, held by Qiao Yichen, was fed an octopus ball one moment and stuffed with a piece of brown sugar ciba the next.

Qiao Yichen was in charge of queuing and paying, and he was also carrying a bag of sugar-roasted chestnuts that Lin Wei had insisted on giving him.

The sky had completely darkened.

People bustled around them; some held newly bought ice cream, others carried steaming oden. The surroundings were incredibly lively.

When the four of them had their hands full of food, they unknowingly strolled back to the center of the square.

The stage lights on the lawn were fully illuminated, and a band was singing something on stage.

The melody of the guitar flowed out of the speakers, mixing with the lead singer's slightly hoarse voice, drifting into the night sky.

A circle of people surrounded the stage; some swayed gently to the rhythm, while others held up their phones to take pictures.

Lin Wei, with a skewer dangling from her mouth, was already unconsciously swaying to the music.

Su Qing stood beside her, holding a cup of milk tea, quietly watching the stage.

Liu Yanran leaned against Qiao Yichen's shoulder, still cradling half an uneaten octopus ball.

The song on stage reached the chorus, and some people around started humming along.

Lin Wei nudged Su Qing with her elbow and whispered, "I know this song."

Su Qing glanced at her, "Then sing it."

Lin Wei actually opened her mouth and hummed a few lines, but the further she sang, the more off-key she became.

Liu Yanran was amused by her, her shoulders shaking slightly.

Qiao Yichen looked down at her, then reached out and gently wiped away a bit of octopus ball sauce smeared on the corner of her mouth.

Liu Yanran froze for a moment and looked up at him.

He didn't say anything, just smiled, and continued looking toward the stage.

When the song finished, applause and whistles erupted around them.

Lin Wei clapped vigorously, then turned to look at them, "Next song! We'll go back after this one!"

Su Qing gave her a resigned look, "Okay, okay, we'll listen to you."

Qiao Yichen glanced at the time; it was still early, so he didn't urge them.

The band started the second song, a slow-tempo old tune.

Someone in the crowd turned on their phone's flashlight and swayed gently to the rhythm.

Lin Wei leaned on Su Qing's shoulder, unusually quiet, listening to the song.

Liu Yanran leaned into Qiao Yichen's embrace, also watching the stage.

The music ended, and the crowd dispersed.

Lin Wei was a person who kept her word; after truly listening to one song, she clapped her hands, "Alright, alright, let's go!"

The four of them walked with the flow of people, passing through the bustling square and returning to the parking lot.

Qiao Yichen started the car and drove back along the mountain road. Outside the car window, the lights of Yu Village were gradually left behind, leaving only a continuous silhouette of mountains.

Upon returning to the guesthouse, the car came to a stop.

The four walked through the courtyard along the bluestone path.

The courtyard at night was completely different from the daytime—the pool lights were on, casting a faint blue glow on the water surface. A few guests were swimming, splashing water that sparkled under the lights.

On the lawn ahead, a few groups were having a barbecue. The red glow of the charcoal flickered, and the aroma of roasting meat mixed with smoke drifted over, faintly accompanied by laughter and the clinking of glasses.

Qiao Yichen stopped and looked at the three of them, "Do you want to grill some more yourselves? It's only 8:13, we got back early."

Lin Wei, usually the most enthusiastic, didn't speak up immediately this time. She just glanced at the barbecue area, then at Su Qing.

Liu Yanran spoke up, "Let's make a little. We didn't have a proper meal tonight."

Su Qing immediately countered, "Lin Wei ate the most just now."

Lin Wei was displeased, "Didn't you eat the few things I picked? You ate three skewers, two pieces of stinky tofu, and you even snatched an octopus ball!"

"That was because you shoved it at me."

"If I shoved it at you, why did you eat it? Why didn't you say no?"

Qiao Yichen watched the two bicker, smiled, and turned toward the front desk.

Liu Yanran followed him, linking her arm through his.

The person at the front desk was the same owner from the afternoon. Seeing them enter, he smiled and greeted them, "You're back? How was your outing?"

Qiao Yichen nodded, "It was good. Boss, we'd like to grill something ourselves on the lawn. Is that convenient?"

"Convenient, convenient." The owner pointed outside, "There are still spots in the barbecue area over there. Feel free to pick one. What ingredients do you need? I'll have someone prepare them."

Qiao Yichen thought for a moment, "Keep it simple: lamb skewers, beef skewers, chicken wings, chives, eggplant, squid... and a few bottles of drinks and beer."

The owner wrote it down and waved his hand, "Okay, you guys go sit first, and I'll have it sent over shortly."

The four chose a spot by the edge of the lawn.

There was a long wooden table with two long benches on each side, and a barbecue grill with already lit charcoal in the middle.

Lin Wei plopped down, Su Qing sat next to her, while Liu Yanran and Qiao Yichen sat opposite.

It wasn't long before a young man walked over carrying a tray.

The tray was neatly stacked with meat skewers, vegetables, squid, several bottles of drinks and beer, plus a box of prepared sauce and a brush.

"Everything is here. Take your time grilling," the young man set down the tray and turned to leave.

Qiao Yichen stood up and walked to the grill, placing the meat skewers on one by one.

The heat from the charcoal rushed toward his face. The moment the meat touched the iron grate, it made a sizzling sound, and smoke billowed up, carrying the charred aroma of fat.

Liu Yanran got up and walked to his side, picked up the brush, and coated the skewers with a layer of sauce.

Lin Wei lay on the table, resting her chin on her hands, watching their synchronized backs and sighing, "Ah, it's so nice having someone to wait on you."

Su Qing glanced at her, "You could go grill too."

"Me? I'm waiting to eat."

Su Qing couldn't be bothered with her, picked up a piece of squid herself, walked to the other side of the grill, and found an empty spot to place it.

Only then did Lin Wei slowly stand up and move closer to look, "Hey, is it done? Is it done yet?"

"What's the rush?" Qiao Yichen flipped the skewers, "We just put them on."

Liu Yanran picked up a few lamb skewers that were almost cooked, skillfully brushed on the final layer of sauce, and held them up to Qiao Yichen's mouth, "Taste it, is it done?"

Qiao Yichen took a bite, chewed, and nodded, "It's done, we can eat."

Liu Yanran turned and placed the skewers onto the plate on the table. Lin Wei immediately reached out, grabbed one, and bit into it without minding the heat, squinting in satisfaction, "Mmm—Delicious!"

Su Qing also walked over, picked up a skewer, and ate it slowly.

Qiao Yichen returned to the table and sat down, picking up a bottle of beer. He used the opener to pry off the cap and took a long drink.

The cold liquid slid down his throat, bringing a sense of satisfaction.

He leaned back against the bench, looking at the three of them—Lin Wei was wrestling with the squid, Su Qing was slowly eating a lamb skewer, and Liu Yanran stood by the grill, picking up a freshly cooked skewer and turning to offer it to him.